A futile farewell

STOCKTON - The Visalia Rawhide manufactured two early runs and held on to spoil the Ports' 2013 home finale.

Dave Campbell

STOCKTON - The Visalia Rawhide manufactured two early runs and held on to spoil the Ports' 2013 home finale.

The Rawhide won 3-1 in front of 2,552 fans at Stockton Ballpark, taking three of four in the series and sending Stockton off on its season-ending road trip to Bakersfield and Modesto.

Visalia got a run in the first inning when Stockton right fielder Myrio Richard gunned down Jake Lamb at third after Lamb tried to get from first to third on a David Peralta single, but the Rawhide broke on top on that play when Kevin Medrano scored from second.

In the second inning, Ports first baseman Tony Thompson began an unconventional 3-6-1 double play when he vacuumed up a fast grounder and fired it to Addison Russell, who returned it to pitcher Raul Alcantara to complete the double play. Following an Evan Marzilli single, Stockton catcher Phil Pohl threw out Marzilli on a steal attempt to end the Visalia second.

The Ports turned another double play in the third inning, but Medrano scored on that play for a 2-0 lead that would hold until Visalia stretched its lead to 3-0 when Medrano scored his third run on a single by Lamb in the eighth.

Antonio Lamas gave the home fans something to cheer about when he led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple. He then watched the next two batters strike out before coming home on a two-out passed ball.

Andrew Barbosa went the first six innings for the Rawhide and allowed just two hits, one a third-inning two-out double to Myrio Richard. Addison Russell got the other hit off of Barbosa with a two-out single in the third.

"I am kind of sad right now," Richard said. "Hopefully, we can make some kind of run at it and get at least one more game here in the playoffs. I would love to play back here at least one more time."

A 2012 high-school graduate, this is Russell's first full professional season.

"This is kind of bittersweet," Russell said. "We have a good team and I became close with a lot of guys and it is coming to an end.

"I guess from here on out we just have to look forward."

Recent arrivals from San Diego, Dave Carroll and his 4-year-old son, Lincoln, already are looking forward to next year's games.

"I am bummed out," Carroll said. "I wish we would have got here more often. Lincoln likes coming to these games. We just moved to Tracy and I hope we will get to more games next season."

Stockton's Alfredo Garcia has been coming to Ports games for years and brought his 9-month-old daughter, Aliah Kayley, to her first game.

"This is her first game and she is happy to be here," Garcia said. "I enjoy it at these games and try to get out here 10 or 11 times a year."

East Union High freshman Eddie Glaser was able to get away from football long enough to take in the game with his mother Jennifer and grandmother Stephanie James.

"It's disappointing this is the last home game," Glaser said. "Even though I am from Manteca I still consider the Ports my local team."